Another day, another koi. I am determined to get this right.

The last one – obviously – the koi were too small and got lost. So let’s make the koi and lily pads bigger, shall we?

I found a photo of lily pads and koi that I had taken years ago and decided to use that – and to practice dark, murky water.

First I masked out the pads and koi with Fineline Masking Fluid.

There’s a pigment that I haven’t used often but really like – Blue Apatite Genuine. Yes, Daniel Smith tubes can be expensive but I see from looking this up on Amazon that I bought the tube October of 2016 so that’s 10 years of use and the tube hasn’t dried up or anything. I added Jadeite and after getting the paper very wet, I did a loose wash letting the Jadeite and Apatite clump and granulate.

Before it dried, I threw on a scattering of Morton’s Table Salt. The result –

I actually like the background at this point so I start in on the pads, mixing Jadeite, Hooker’s Green, Burgundy Yellow Ochre, Cascade Green and a little Quin. Sienna to make the leave’s edges look weathered. The yellow is Transparent Yellow Oxide that shades from an orange to light warm yellow depending on how much it is diluted.

I went back in with a damp brush to lift color and make the fine veins in the leaves.

Then it is time to paint the koi. I did a wash of Transparent Yellow Oxide then started layering in some orange – I don’t remember which… and… I just hate it. I can’t do this.

I took a break and when I came back, this was deemed scrap paper.

I will get better at this!